One reason I love being in a bookstore is that it makes reading social. It's a gathering place for booklovers and ironically, I think it's one place where our noses are NOT buried in a book! People browse books, skim books and TALK BOOKS!
A recent post by my northern neighbors at The Flying Pig Bookstore in VT on the ShelfTalker blog highlighted the fact that customers feel comfortable enough to talk to someone they don't know in a bookstore.
They don't just recommend books to one another but offer personal stories. My nephew Nicky read this book when we were at the beach and loved it...I give this to every one of my grandkids when they turn 3...this book made me laugh so hard, I fell off the couch. As Josie points out, "Nothing sells books better than passion."
As a bookseller, I LOVE it when I hear my guests talking to eachother about books. I can know the title, author name, ISBN and plotline of the entire Middle Grade wall and not speak to the heart of a book as well as someone who randomly tells a stranger 'I finished it in one sitting!'
So in a way, when you talk about books, you aren't just loving books, you become a book seller! (That's one of the reason we ask everyone their favorite books when they interview at The Scholastic Store.)
If you ever find yourself in SoHo and feel the need to talk about your latest read, feel free to stop by. I promise I won't make you wear an apron!
